Patricia Mortenson
(she/her)
PhD
Investigator and Clinical Educator, BC Children's Hospital
Rehabilitation approaches used for children with spinal muscular atrophy: A scoping review based on the F-words framework
Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine
Patricia Mortenson and Niamh Cushen and Jill G Zwicker
DOI: 10.1177/1875889426144373808 / 2026
Abstracts
European Academy of Childhood Disability
1. Mortenson, P., Belliveau, R., Clegg, J., Goraya, A., Tremblay, S., Selby, K., Backman, C., Zwicker, J.G. A theoretical framework for SMA rehabilitation in the advent gene therapy and medical advances. (2026). Abstracts. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 68(S3), S5-S116. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.70286
DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.7028606 / 2026
Building capacity for patient-engagement in neuromuscular disease research: A network project
Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases
Patricia Mortenson and Homira Osman and Erin Beattie and Corinne Kagan and Victoria Larocca and Claudia Maltais and Linda Niksic and Margo Thompson and Kathryn Selby
DOI: 10.1177/2214360225140581905 / 2026
A response to a letter to the editor: in response to Burk etal. (2025)
Disability and Rehabilitation
Patricia Mortenson and Jill G. Zwicker
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2025.256491712 / 2025
Rehabilitation practices for childhood spinal muscular atrophy
Disability and Rehabilitation
Patricia Mortenson and Julia Cielecka and Emma Harrison and Jill G. Zwicker
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2025.248434510 / 2025
Long-term upper extremity performance in children with cerebral palsy following selective dorsal rhizotomy
Child's Nervous System
Patricia Mortenson and Nishanth Sadashiva and Mandeep S. Tamber and Paul Steinbok
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-020-05018-206 / 2021
Safety and efficacy of independent allied healthcare professionals in the assessment and management of plagiocephaly patients
Child's Nervous System
Yahya Khormi and Michelle Chiu and Ronette Goodluck Tyndall and Patricia Mortenson and David Smith and Paul Steinbok
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-019-04400-z02 / 2020
Impact of Early Follow-Up Intervention on Parent-Reported Postconcussion Pediatric Symptoms: A Feasibility Study
Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation
Patricia Mortenson and Ashutosh Singhal and Alexander R. Hengel and Jacqueline Purtzki
DOI: 10.1097/htr.000000000000022311 / 2016
Experiences of Early Transdisciplinary Teams in Pediatric Community Rehabilitation
Infants & Young Children
Tamie Aubin and Patricia Mortenson
DOI: 10.1097/iyc.000000000000003304 / 2015
Long-term outcome after selective dorsal rhizotomy in children with spastic cerebral palsy
Child's Nervous System
Tamir Ailon and Richard Beauchamp and Stacey Miller and Patricia Mortenson and John M. Kerr and Alexander R. Hengel and Paul Steinbok
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-015-2614-903 / 2015
Deformational plagiocephaly and orthotic treatment: indications and limitations
Child's Nervous System
Patricia Mortenson and Paul Steinbok and David Smith
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-012-1755-309 / 2012
Cultural Competence in Occupational Therapists Working in Early Intervention Therapy Programs
Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy
Eleanor L. Wray and Patricia A. Mortenson
DOI: 10.2182/cjot.2011.78.3.606 / 2011
Electrophysiologically guided versus non-electrophysiologically guided selective dorsal rhizotomy for spastic cerebral palsy: a comparison of outcomes
Child's Nervous System
Paul Steinbok and Andrew J. Tidemann and Stacey Miller and Patricia Mortenson and Tim Bowen-Roberts
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-009-0908-509 / 2009
Long-term outcome of infants with positional occipital plagiocephaly
Child's Nervous System
Paul Steinbok and David Lam and Swati Singh and Patricia A. Mortenson and Ashutosh Singhal
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-007-0373-y09 / 2007
Quantifying Positional Plagiocephaly
Journal of Craniofacial Surgery
Mortenson, P. A., & Steinbok, P. (2006). Quantifying positional plagiocephaly: reliability and validity of anthropometric measurements. Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, 17(3), 413-419.
05 / 2006
Playfulness in Children with Traumatic Brain Injury
Physical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics
Patricia A Mortenson and Susan R Harris
DOI: 10.1080/j006v26n01_1101 / 2006
The Use of Casts in the Management of Joint Mobility and Hypertonia Following Brain Injury in Adults: A Systematic Review
Physical Therapy
Patricia A Mortenson and Janice J Eng
DOI: 10.1093/ptj/83.7.64807 / 2003
Environmental Analysis: Insights from Sociological and Geographical Perspectives
Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy
Patti O{\textquotesingle}Brien and Isabel Dyck and Staci Caron and Patricia Mortenson
DOI: 10.1177/00084174020690040710 / 2002
Upper Extremity Performance and Self-Care Skill Changes in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy following Selective Posterior Rhizotomy
Pediatric Neurosurgery
Patricia Loewen and Paul Steinbok and Liisa Holsti and Margot MacKay
DOI: 10.1159/000028720Spinal Muscular Atrophy Rehabilitation in a New Treatment Era: A Constructivist Grounded Theory
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a condition that causes profound weakness of all body muscles. Until recently, it was one of the most common genetic causes of infant death. With new medical treatments, children with SMA now survive, but live with disabilities. Rehabilitation is important for the care of children with SMA, but with new expectations and potential for improvement, we don’t know how rehabilitation is changing or what families want from therapy. This research explored how to better balance SMA rehabilitation by talking to children, caregivers, and therapists. From the information gathered, the research team, including patient partners, co-developed a framework for how to re-envision rehabilitation. This includes being open for new approaches, supporting mental health, embedding therapy into life activities and community places, and supporting SMA communities. Checklists to support use of the framework in practice have been developed for youth, parents, and therapists.
Describing cognition and language in patients with spinal muscular atrophy treated early with disease modifying therapy after newborn screening
Now that children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are being identified early on newborn screening and treated in infancy, we are learning more about the trajectory of the condition. Our own clinical observations of possible developmental differences in some children with SMA echo those reported form other centres. In this work, we are tracking the cognitive and language development of children diagnosed with SMA in their early years (0-3 years) to understand more about how the condition impacts children and how we can better support children and families.
Grants
Co-Investiator. Spinal Muscular Atrophy Rehabilitation in a New Treatment Era: A Grounded Theory Study. Funding Source: Muscular Dystrophy Canada
Honours & Awards
2026 - Patient-Oriented Research Publication of the Year Award, Neuromuscular Disease Network for Canada
2023 - Award for Merit, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
Our Research
At BC Children’s, we are making discoveries that save lives and transform health care for children in our province and around the world. Our research portfolio includes basic, clinical, population, and public health research.
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